Wheel.



F. T. KERNS.

WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2, 1912. 060 460, Patented Apr. 29, 1913 9 s 2SHEETSSHEET 1.

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F. T. KERNS.

WHEEL.

APPLIOATION TILED MAR.2, 1912.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co, WASHIN GGGGGGG c.

Patented Apr. 29, 1913 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

TTNTTED STATES PATENT @FFTCE.

FRANCIS T. KER/NS, 0F BEHLER, WEST VIRGINIA.

WHEEL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANoIs T. KERNs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Behler, in the county of Monongalia and State of estVirginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Wheels, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in bull wheels or winding drumssuch as are employed in connection with well drilling rigs for drillingoil and other like wells, the object of the invent-ion being to providean improved bull wheel and shaft which is exceedingly strong, anddurable, which is made of iron or steel or other suitable metal and cwhich is constructed of separable parts which admit of the bull wheelbeing assembled and disassembled readily so as to greatly facilitaterepairs and correspondingly reduce the expense of maintaining the bullwheel.

One object of the invention is to effect improvements in theconstruction of the shaft and gudgeons whereby the latter are adapted tobe readily and detachably secured to the end of the shaft.

Another object of the invention is to effect improvements in theconstruction of the tug and brake wheels.

Still another object is to provide the tug and brake wheels withdetachable cants which are made of wood and may be readily removed andrenewed when worn.

The prime object of my invention is to provide an improved bull wheelwhich is capable of withstanding immense strains, long, continued usageand is not likely to get out of order.

WVith the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists inthe construction, combination and arrangement of de-' vices, hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinalcentral sectional view of a bull wheel, constructed in accordance withmy invention. Fig. 2 is partly an end elevation and partly a sectionalview of the same on the plane indicated by the line a-a of Fig. 1 andintersecting the tug wheel. Fig. 3 is a similar view, the section planeof which is indicated by the line bb of Fig. 1 and intersects the brakewheel. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of a portion of the tug wheelon the plane indicated by the line 00 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a similarview of a portion Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 2, 1912.

Patented Apr. 29, 1913.

Serial No. 681,105.

of the brake wheel on the plane indicated by the line d(Z of Fig. 3.Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view, showing a portion of a tug wheelembodying a modification of my invention. Fig. 7 is a detail perspectiveview of one of the gudgeons. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective View,showing portions of a pair of the segmental members of one of the outerrim rings constructed to form an overlapping joint at their meetingends.

The shaft 1 of my improved bull wheel is a tube of iron or steel and ofsuitable length, thickness and diameter. The shaft tube is provided atits ends with V-shaped recesses 2 and is also provided near its endswith radial openings 3.

At the ends of the tubular shaft are gudgeons 4 each of which has aflange plate 5 which is circular in form and corresponds in diameterwith and fits against one end of the tubular shaft 1. Each gudgeon isalso formed with an inwardly extending plug portion 6, which iscylindrical in form and fits in one end of the tubular shaft, thegudgeons being further provided with V- shaped locking keys 7 which areon the peripheries of the plug portion 6 and the bases of which areformed by the flange plates 5, the said locking keys engaging thenotches 2 at the ends of the said tubular shaft and hence, locking thegudgeons to the ends of the shaft so as to cause the shaft and gudgeonsto rotate together and prevent the shaft from having angular movementwith respect to the gudgeons. Bolt rods 8 are arranged in the bore ofthe tubular shaft, extend therethrough from end to end and also extendthrough openings in the flange plates 5 of the gudgeons and are providedat their ends with looking nuts 9 which bear on the vouter sides of saidflange plates.

Hence, the gudgeons are firmly and yet detachably connected to thetubular shaft. I also provide locking bands 10 which are shrunk on theends of the tubular shaft and on the peripheries of the flange plates ofthe gudgeons and extend across the joints formed between the saidflangeplates and the ends of the tubular shaft, as shown.

The tug wheel 11 is formed with a air of separable hub members 12 whicliare clamped together on opposite sides of the tubular shaft 1 and areprovided with inwardly extending locking studs 13 which engage theopenings 3 near that end of the tubular shaft, the tug wheel being thusarranged so that it can be readily detached from the tubular shaft andyet so securely connected thereto as to be prevented from turningindependently thereof. Each member of thehub of the tug wheel isprovided with a series of spoke members or arms 14 some of which are inpractice formed, on their outer sides, with the usual helpers, such asare indicated at 15. The hub members of the tug wheel are detachablysecured together by means of bolts 16 and the spokes or arms of the tugwheel are provided at their outer ends with V-shaped notches 18 and arealso provided at their outer ends, at their sides, with recesses 19 andalso with medially disposed recesses 20 at their outer ends.

\ or segmental members 25, the ends of which are ,connected together. byoverlapping joints 26 The rim rings are provided at their inner sideswith inwardly extending flanges 27 on their opposing surfaces which vflanges support tug cants or segments 28 which are made of wood, areadapted to be renewed when worn and are provided with grooves 29 intheir outer sides which correspond with the notches 18 at the outer endsof the spokes or arms and are adapted to receive the usual tug ropes orcables. The overlapping ends of the rim rings are connected together bybolts 30 which also: secure the rim rings to the spokes or arms ofthetug wheel and the cant segments 28 are detachably secured in placebetween the rim rings and the spokes or arms by means of bolts 31 whichextend transversely} through the cant segments and also through therimrings. One of the segments or members of -the outer rim 'rlng isformed with a dog 33. All the parts oft-he tug wheel, excepting the'cants or cant segments are made of iron or steel and may be cast Hence,the tug wheel is exceedingly strong, 1 is adapted to be readilydisassembled or; assembled and may be manufactured at; comparativelyslight cost. It requires only a short time which "to remove any of the?cant segments and replace the same by a new one, and, hence, the tugwheel may be continued in service for an indefinite period of time, the,cantsegmen'ts which are madei of wood, and whiclrare the only parts of,the tug wheelthat are s'usceptibleto wear; being thus adaptedto bereadily and eco-;'

nomically renewed.

The brake wheel 35 comprises a pair of hub members 36 which areidentical in construction wlth those of the tug wheel, are provided withinwardly extending locking studs 37 which enter the openings 3 near thatend of the tubular shaft on which the brake wheel is placed, the membersof the brake wheel being secured together and on opposite sides of thetubular shaft by bolts 38 and the spokes or arms 39 of the brake wheelbeing provided at their outer ends with side recesses 40 and centrallydisposed recesses 41 which respectively receive the side and center rimrings 4243. The rim rings of the brake wheel are substantially identicalin construction with those of the tug wheel, and provided on their innersides with inwardly extending flanges 44 which project from theiropposing surfaces, the said rim rings of the brake wheel being providedwith overlapping joints 45 and their members being secured together andalso to the outer end of the hubs of the brake wheel by means of bolts46. The cants 47 on the brake wheel are made of wood, are fitted betweenthe outer ends of the spokes of the brake Wheel and also between the rimrings thereof and their inner sides bear on the flanges of said rimrings, the outer sides or peripheries of the cants of the brake wheelprojecting beyond the outer sides or peripheries of the rim rings andbeyond the outer ends of the spokes of the brake wheel, as shown, Thesecan-ts are detachably secured in place by means of bolts 48 which permitof their ready removal and renewal when they become broken and worn and,hence, the brake wheel also is adapted to be kept in use for anindefinite period of time.

In Fig. 6, I show a modified form of construction of the tug wheel inwhich the central rim ring of the tug wheel is dispensed with and thecants of the tug wheel, indicated at 49 form only a single peripheralgroove 50 for engagement by a single tug rope or cable.

l/Vhile I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of myinvention, I would have it understood that changes may be made intheform, proportion and construction of the several parts without departingfrom the spirit of my invention and within the scope of the appendedclaims.

I 'claim:-

1. Ina bull wheel, the combination of a tubular shaft on which the tugand brake wheels are secured, said shaft being provided wlth recesses inits ends, and gudgeons detachably secured on theends of the tubularshaft, each of the gudgeons having plug notches or recesses of theshaft, the gudl fgeons being further provided with flange plates whichbear against the ends of the tubular shaft, and bolt rods extendingthrough the bore of the tubular shaft and also through openings in thegudgeons, the said bolt rods being provided with nuts which bear on theouter sides of the gudgeo-ns, and bands on the ends of the tubular shaftand the flange plates of the gudgeons and extending across the jointsbetween the ends of the shaft and the said flange plates.

2. A bull wheel including a tubular shaft open at its ends, gudgeonsfitting in and de tachably secured on the ends of the shaft, eachgudgeon having a plug member fitting in one end of the shaft, thegudgeo-ns and the shaft ends being also provided with 00- acting meansto prevent independent rotation of the shaft on the gudgeons, and boltrods arranged in the bore of the shaft and extending through and securedto the gudgeons, and nuts on the ends of the bolt rods and bearingagainst the outer sides of the gudgeons.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

FRANCIS T. KERNS.

Witnesses FRED MICHAEL, FRANK EDDY.

Gop'ies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G."

